Night Terrors
by ItachiSilverwolf
Summary: After being recused from death and brought home to safety two year old Naruto is terror-stricken by the memories he carries. Will his new family be able to cope while the soldier that brought the blonde tot home returns to war?
1. Night Terrors

Night Terrors

By: Silverwolf

Naruto screams and cries out as the room goes dark. Mikoto sighs and enters the room once again. The toddler clings to Mikoto still in tears. As the Uchiha tries to comfort her son she can't help but feel frustrated. Fugaku had brought home the child from the trenches of war. The tiny blonde had been left for dead with his throat cut during another night attack. Her husband had now returned to the fight leaving Mikoto to push on with not only her two young children, but the _deeply scarred _toddler.

She sighs and lifts Naruto from the bed. There had many long nights because of the toddler's fear of the dark. Mikoto sighs and decides upon any possiblly of her finding sleep without Naruto along her bed. The Uchiha steps across the floor holding Naruto. The toddler hides using a stuffed lion. Mikoto passes her older son's room.

Itachi was currently asleep upside down along the bed. Mikoto never figured out how her son managed to not only leave his covers, but to turn around in his bed. Mikoto sighs while entering Itachi's room. She places Naruto along the floor. The toddler clings to her whimpering while Mikoto moves Itachi back to sleeping under his blankets. The seven year old has his arm around a stuffed bulldog dressed in a uniform. Mikoto sighs as she kisses her son on the forehead.

She lifts Naruto from the floor. The blonde whimpers softly. "There's nothing here to be afraid of. Baby, you'd feel better if you went to eyes stare back at Mikoto. The tot whines a bit as Mikoto starts back towards his room. She places Naruto along his bed and goes to leave the room. The toddler once again begins to scream.

Mikoto returns to the room and takes Naruto from the bed. She sighs as she softly rocks the toddler in her arms. Naruto still holds the stuffed toy. Mikoto makes a face and then steps from Naruto's room. The toddler whines as Mikoto wanders into Sasuke's room. The toddler is stretched completely across his bed with his fingers in his mouth. Mikoto shakes her head and takes her son's fingers from between his lips. She places Naruto along the floor. The blonde tot whimpers. Mikoto moves Sasuke back to one side of the bed. Mikoto then places Naruto on the bed next to Sasuke. The Uchiha whispers low. "Please let this work. I'd like sleep."

Naruto whimpers and whines. Sasuke reaches out with the hand his mother had taken from his mouth placing saliva coated fingers along the other tot. Mikoto shakes her head lightly. Naruto quiets to the touch of the other child. Mikoto kisses both of the toddlers lightly. "Good night my boys."

Mikoto goes to step out of the room slowly expecting Naruto to scream for the third time that night. Instead the blonde toddler is silently curled up against the other toddler. Mikoto watches the blonde chew on the ear of the stuffed lion. She smiles a bit as Sasuke seems to accept the tiny _stranger _sleeping next to him. Mikoto realizes she just might be able to sleep a full night without Naruto in the bed near her.

Though she understood his fears completely. Especially after being brought to the hospital by her husband during his brief return home. She'd first seen the toddler asleep after surgery. Fugaku told her they'd found Naruto with his throat and chest sliced open. No one could answer as to how long he'd lie among the dead. After that the tiny child had joined the four walls of the Uchiha household. Naruto had only been with the family for a few months. During those months the _biggest battle_ was getting Naruto to sleep. He still had a long way to go. Mikoto had first thought of changing the todder's name, but her husband had objected to it after learning he was the son of a soldier. Truth was they'd only discovered the tot's name after they discovered his parents among the bodies.


	2. Siblings

Siblings

By: Silverwolf

Sasuke and Naruto sit playing. Though everything Naruto built from blocks Sasuke sent craching to the floor. Itachi lies across the floor coloring. That is until Naruto leaves his game when Sasuke sends his tower falling to the floor. The blonde looks at Itachi. The seven year old kicks his feet a bit as he colors his picture. Itachi makes a face as he notices Naruto. He pulls a page from the coloring book in silence and holds it out. Naruto grins widely and lies next to Itachi. The older of the pair hands over a few crayons. Naruto begins scribbling away.

Itachi looks towards Sasuke as his brother begins constructing a new tower. If anything Sasuke had a habit of making Naruto leave whatever toy he was playing with. In a way it was as if the tot was picking on the blonde. Itachi places a crayon in the box. He watches Naruto remain with the crayons lying in the floor. The raven child smirks. At least his younger sibling wouldn't be breaking his school crayons. Naruto looks at Itachi, "more?"

Itachi digs through the pencil box to place a few more crayons down. Naruto claps his hands lightly. Itachi rolls his eyes. He didn't understand the blonde completely, but he also didn't think the blonde understood all of them completely. Naruto squeals as Sasuke crushes a crayon under his foot.

Itachi sighs and moves the crayons away from his brother. He pulls Sasuke back to the block tower and shoves it down. The tot squeals. Itachi returns to his picture as Mikoto enters the room. "What is going on here?" Itachi continues coloring. Naruto reaches towards Itachi. The older of the pair digs through his pencils box for more loose crayons. Though only the crayon box contained every color it wouldn't matter to the tot. Naruto holds the picture up for Mikoto.

"Mama, look." Mikoto smiles towards Naruto's picture. "That's very good." She walks over towards Sasuke's blocks and begins to place a few from the floor towards the top. Sasuke places three more on top of those. They all fall to the fall. Sasuke laughs loudly. Mikoto looks at Itachi, "are you aggravating your brothers?" The seven year old shakes his head and turns a page in his coloring book.

Naruto looks at Itachi, "more?" Itachi begins to flip through the pages of the book until he seems satisfied he's found one he's willing to part with. Itachi tears the page from the book. Naruto takes it with a grin. The blonde tot returns to coloring. Mikoto places the first pages from Naruto on a table. Itachi returns to the page he was going to start.

Sasuke begins placing dinosaurs on top of his block tower. The tot squeals when everything falls to the floor. Mikoto shakes her head lightly. Sasuke laughs loudly and begins building again. Mikoto returns to washing the dishes while her children seem busy.

As Mikoto places the last dish away she feels someone pull at her clothing. Mikoto looks down to see Naruto. "Juice?" Mikoto smirks a moment as Sasuke appears. The tot takes Naruto's empty zippy cup. Mikoto sighs and takes the cup from Sasuke. "Don't take from your brother." Sasuke whines when he's scolded. Mikoto sighs, "none of that now. You know stealing your brother's cup is wrong."

Mikoto takes a sippy cup from the cabinet. She steps towards the refrigerator to get both toddlers juice. Sasuke disappears with the sippy cup in hand. Naruto stands with Mikoto drinking the apple juice. Mikoto watches Naruto disappear after Itachi comes into the kitchen. Itachi comes into the kitchen. The older child brings his mother the orange juice. Mikoto is the one pouring it into a cup for her son.

Itachi carries his cup back towards the family room to continue coloring. He finds Sasuke crashing blocks to the floor using a large alligator. Naruto colors on his page of the book. Itachi watches as the blonde's sippy cup ends up kicked across the room as Sasuke demand the blonde tot's attention.


	3. Quiet Time

Quiet Time

By: Silverwolf

Sasuke and Naruto sit along the ground playing with a puddle and a few toys. A lion slaps against the water with Sasuke's help. Naruto laughs and decides just to stomp in the puddle. Sasuke squeals as water hits his clothing. Itachi watches his brothers with little thought as he watches Sasuke jump in the puddle. It was obvious they were just playing with the muddy water now.

The toy lion falls into the puddle. Sasuke laughs and drops a giraffe into the puddle. The pair continue to to play until Mikoto can be heard. At the sound of their mother the pair begin to whine. Mikoto sighs low as she notices the wet clothing of her children. "Come on, it's too cold for that." Naruto whimpers as he brought into the house. Sasuke give his mother a slight glare as they enter the house. Itachi follows along behind his mother collecting toys.

Sasuke and Naruto diappear through the house afer their mother changes their clothes. Sasuke pulls Naruto along with him lightly. The pair soon begin playing with toys along the carpet. Itachi looks at his mother. Mikoto smiles a moment as she takes the toys that need to be dried off. "Thank you." Her oldest son nods in reply.

Screaming breaks through the house causing Mikoto to leave Itachi in the kitchen. She lifts Naruto. The blonde is in hysterics. Mikoto tries to comfort the toddler. Sasuke looks at her. She looks about the room to find several toys. She doesn't understand why Naruto would be unable to console until she sees the book with pictures of someone holdng a knife.

Mikoto takes Naruto from the room. Sasuke looks at his mother as if asking what's wrong with the blonde. Mikoto sits at the table. Sasuke crawls into a chair. Mikoto carefully pulls the other toddler over towards her in order to be sure he doesn't fall. Sasuke places his arms around Naruto as he crawls from the chair to Mikoto's lap.

Itachi steps into the room with a tilted head. Mikoto sighs low. "He's upset." Itachi decides to take a seat in a chair. Mikoto looks at Itachi, "you want to help me." The older child nods. Mikoto rises from the chair helping Sasuke down to the floor while holding Naruto. She looks at Itachi and beckons for him to follow.

Mikoto kicks the book under the coffee table and watches Itachi take a seat on the couch. She places Naruto in Itachi's lap. Sasuke pulls himself up on the couch to help his brother. Mikoto rubs Naruto's back lightly until he quiets against Itachi's shoulder. Sasuke leans against Itachi making faces. The blonde tot reaches for Sasuke's hand. The raven toddler wraps his hand around Naruto's own. Itachi looks at his brothers.

The seven year old begins to tell an elaberate story. Naruto wipes his snotty nose on Sasuke's shirt as the younger raven boy hugs the blonde. Mikoto shakes her head lightly. Itachi continues to entertain the pair as Mikoto goes in search of a new shirt for Sasuke.

She returns to the room with a clean shirt, a stuffed lion, and a throw blanket. The raven toddler watches as Naruto takes the stuffed lion as Mikoto changes his shirt. She places the blanket over the pair as Itachi continues his story. The the younger pair start to fall asleep Mikoto decides to make the book she'd hidden before disappear to her room. She looks at Itachi with a smile. The oldest boy grins a bit. "Can you get them both to bed?" Mikoto smirks, "It's time they took a nap anyway." Mikoto takes each of the pair for a nap in Sasuke's bed. She knew Fugaku wouldn't be happy with the idea of the tots sharing a bed, but she'd deal with that reality later. While the toddlers sleep Mikoto takes some time to spend with Itachi. She sometimes thought her oldest son felt completely left out because of his brothers despitethe fact he'd never complained.


	4. Night Squall

Night Squall

By: Silverwolf

_Gunfire, smoke, yelling, dancing flames, cries or terror. Naruto watches his mother from the confines of a small loft ledge. She'd placed the tot there for his own safety. But as the abuse begins for the redhead she hears her son scream for her. Unable to lower himself Naruto cries when someone begins to climb the built ladder to him. _

_ The blond tot finds himself off his feet and crying for his mother. Someone laughs. "Stop crying you'll join her soon." Cobalt eyes close as Naruto sees the machette. Naruto screams loudly as he watches someone shoot his mother. The rifle of the man holding him swings around as he fights to keep hold of the toddler. Naruto grows silent as he's carried outside behind a male dragging the body of his mother. The toddler is held over the pile of bodies as the male holding places his foot along the pile. He holds the tot by blonde hair keeping his throat exposed. The blades glides across the tot's throat spilling blood. There isn't any crying from the tot as the same male slices open Naruto several times along the stomach. The blonce toddler joins the bodies of the dead as he tossed aside. The mercenaries continue their own agenda leaving bodies behind them._

Cobalt eyes snap open with a squeal of terror. Naruto shrieking cry can be heard through the house. Tiny wet hands wrap around Naruto. The blonde toddler cling to raven tot as Mikoto enters the room. She notices Sasuke rubbing the blonde toddler's back the way he's seen his mother do many times. Naruto clings to Sasuke. One toddler conforts the other.

Mikoto gives Sasuke a soft smile as she watches her little one yawn and pull Naruto near. The blonde toddler's eyes start to close with the embrace of the other child. Mikoto wasn't sure what to make of Sasuke being the one to comfort Naruto.

Though as many times as it had happened in front of the raven tot it didn't exactly surprise her. Sasuke had a habit of copying his parents. Mikoto decides to try turning on the hallway light and leaving the door open. Hopefully Naruto would sleep the rest of the night.

Mikoto could admit she had moments were she pitied the toddler and his terror. Mostly because she knew there couldn't be anything like it. The toy lion in Naruto's arm had been the only thng to come home with him from the hosptial upon his adoption. To begin with Naruto struggled to speak.

It had been a game to come up with a way for the blonde toddler to communicate with the family until he could state words. Sasuke was swift to take the toddler on a tour of the house. As if there was more than a matter of months between them. It had been Fugaku that plainly told her that the blonde toddler was born just months behind Sasuke.

Mikoto pulls the blankets back of the pair. And then leaves the room. She decides to check of Itachi. Once again the seven year old is upside down along the bed. Mikoto takes the time to tuck the oldest son back into bed with a small smile. If anything she was indeed discovering how to push on with Naruto in her care.

Maybe she could talk Fugaku into letting the pair share a room. It could help the tiny blonde to sleep at night. At least until he was old enough to be in need of privacy. By then maybe Naruto would grow out of the _nightmares and horrid memories that held him tightly in their grasp. _Until then if Sasuke was a source of comfort to Naruto Mikoto would not be the one to take that away. Even if it meant beginning for a **fuss** with her husband when he returned from battle. Of course Fugaku would be sure to bring back each of the boys a present of some kind just as he'd done before.


	5. New Plan

New Plan

By: Silverwolf

Mikoto had happily welcomed her husband home. Fugaku shows each of his boys a small gift. Naruto's present was a small ridingtoy that could also be pulled around. Sasuke's present was a train and track set. Itachi's presnt was a bottled piece of glass crated from the sand, a few books, and a uniform hat.

Fugaku looks at Naruto as he pulls the toy fox behind him. The blonde child holds the string attached to the toy as he sits along the floor watching Sasuke put together the track. Both tots holds pieces of the train untilSasuke takes the car from Naruto. The blonde squeals.

Mikoto and Fugaku step into the room. The pair see Sasuke running the train along the track. Naruto laughs. Fugaku smiles a moment. "How is he dong?"

Mikoto grins, "he bevaes well, like Itachi's crayons, ramen, puppies, and his brothers. Though thee is something we beed to talk about... Naruto's terror at night."

Fugaku looks at the his wife. "Night terror?" Mikoto nods. "Naruto cries and clings to me instead of sleeping. I tried putting him in our bed. I know you don't like the idea of them being in our bed. If I put him in his bed I have to go back for him as soon as I leave the room. He's terrified Fugaku."

Mikoto watches her husband nos. "Hae you tried a light from the hall with the door open?" Mikoto nods. The pair hear Naruto's squealing laughter as Sasuke has the train travel backward. After a few moments naruto pulls his toy along happily forgetting about the train.

"I've been letting him sleep in Sasuke's roo?" Fugaku nods as he watches Naruto take the toy though the house. The blonde stares at Fugaku with a pair of ocean eyes. "Up?" Fugaku gives the child half a smirk and left him from the floor. The rises up with its string.

"You think they should share a room?" Mikoto nods. "Ho was Naruto sleeping since then?" Mikoto makes a face. "Mikoto, I'm only curious. Maybe sharing a room will help Naruto."

"He woke up briefly the other night, but it wasn't for long. I think he might have had a nightmare. But he went back to sleep when he realizes that he wasn't alone. I might as well tell you... I've been letting Naruto and Sasuke share a bed. I'm sorry Fugaku, but I couldn't take Naruto being awake screaming most of the night. Maybe I'm not the best mother for Naruto."

Fugaku makes a face, "Mikoto, while you may know I'm uncomfortable wih the children sharing a bed you did what you felt was correct for Naruto. I feel that makes you a perfect mother. Also I think that the rom used for my office is large enough for the boys to share a room. They can always go be to the other rooms when they are older. Ask for the fact you've allowed them to share a bed I think I'll survive. They are only two. Hopefully Naruto learns he has nothing to fear and can go from Sasuke's bed to his own. Then his own room."

Mikoto smiles at her husband as he fixes Naruto's shirt back down over the scars. The toddler looks up towards his parents exposing the scar around his throat briefly. "Down?" Fugaku smirks and places Naruto down. The blonde tot wanders the house with the toy fox behind him.


End file.
